Consuming Me
by Rainfelt aka Phoe-chan
Summary: [SasuNaru] He left. He said he'd be back the title of Hokage was going to be his. And he did return, but he wasn't ready. And if he doesn't find what he needs soon he will leave them forever... and this time no one will be able to bring him back.
1. Prologue

**AN:** Don't ask. Really. This wasn't even something I was planning to write. I felt like crap last night and started writing to clear my mind. I half didn't remember what I wrote. Then later today I opened the file and stared. It was well over 1300 words. Rereading it, I realized it had the beginnings of a plot and thus I smacked on some more text, worked up a plot with my twinja and here you have it folks. A test fic.

I really need to stop doing this.

**Note:** Unless I get too many complaints, I'm gonna probably make this sasunaru. I need a test fic to work on my shounen-ai skills and I think this one would work. This will also probably be angsty because I need to work on my angst skills, too. I've gotten rusty.

**Disclaimer:** I don't speak Japanese. That should clue you in.

**Consuming Me**

_Prologue

* * *

_

Tsunade sat at her desk with her chin on the desktop as she stared dully at the wall. Today was the anniversary of a very saddening day. Three years ago her favourite loud-mouth had disappeared. At first one assumed he had been attacked or kidnapped by the enemies. However, after two weeks of searching the ANBU came up with nothing.

Then, just a few days later...

::flashback::

_A kunai suddenly flew in from the open window and successfully embedded itself in wood of the desk. Attached to it was a piece of paper with scribbles on it. Tsunade arched a brow and plucked the paper from the weapon. After taking a few minutes to decipher the poorly written hiragana she raised her brows in shock._

_"Tsunade-baabaa. Tell your men to quit looking for me. I don't want to be found. I have my reasons. Maybe I'll return but at the moment, I just can't. Please understand. I know I'll be classified as a missing-nin but I doubt there will be too much concern. I'm only a genin and half of Konoha will probably be pleased with my disappearance. Tell my friends... well, I don't know. Tell them whatever you want. I may come back after I finish doing what I need to do. Don't worry, though. I'm still going to become Hokage." She could almost see the smile on the boy's face as she read the letter. "Anyways, I'm running out of room. And, uh, don't be too harsh on Sasuke after he wakes up from his coma. If anything you should blame me for not bringing him back before he got to Orochimaru. I'll be back. -Naruto."_

_Tsunade sighed and put the paper down. Great; just great. Not only had the boy just decided to become a rogue nin, he was asking her to NOT look for him and asking her to let Sasuke off the hook for going to Orochimaru. Did he expect her to move mountains as well? She tried to imagine why Naruto would leave. Yes, a good portion of the villagers didn't like him but he had friends. Even after Sasuke had nearly killed him Naruto seemed even more determined to bring him back and save him from Orochimaru. So was there something she was missing?_

::end flashback::

She had kept her promise ironically enough. She knocked the charges on Sasuke down to probation and ANBU watch for six months. He grudgingly agreed but that was about it. However she wasn't able to keep Naruto from becoming a low-class missing nin. Mainly because of him being the Kyuubi vessel, a good number of people concerned that he might try to do something. And after a good while arguing, Tsunade was forced to A-rank him. She only prayed the boy wouldn't get caught.

If anything happened to him...

And to make today even more troubling she had received word that Sakura had gone missing on her mission. Her team mates had returned badly injured and claimed that the enemy had disappeared and apparently Sakura did so as well. She was now in the midst of trying to organize a search-team. Her prized pupil was going to be found.

The ANBU captain appeared in front of her at that moment. "The team has been assembled. I'll be attending with them. We'll find Sakura, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade gave a nod and attempted to keep up her Hokage image. "OK. You're dismissed. Bring her back safely."

The man nodded and disappeared.

* * *

The guards at the main gate of Konoha were bored. With the outbreak of attacks in and around the Fire Country security had been upped a notch. However, there had been no direct activity toward the village and thus the guards found it a waste of their time. 

"So, what plans do you have after our shift is over?"

"Food. I'm absolutely starving. Barbeque is what I have in mind. Wanna come?"

"That sounds good but I have to see my wife first. She's expecting soon."

"Oh yeah, I remember that. Congrats."

Their conversation was cut short when a figure came into view along the dirt road. As it got closer they could distinguish that it was two figures. One was a tall cloaked person and he was carrying the other on his back, piggy-back style. As they looked closer, they could see the unconscious figure was a woman with pink hair and she sported a jounin vest. They stood up. "Who goes there?!"

The cloaked figure looked up some. "Ah! Good, can you help me? It's not that she's heavy but I've been traveling for a while. She needs a doctor badly. You might want to send for one!"

The two guards exchanged looks before nodding. However before they could do anything a group of four walked out the main gate. ANBU. However they stopped as the cloaked man approached, Sakura draped across his back. He seemed to slow down a bit as he looked up but continued on. "Hey there! This woman needs treatment! I found her a few miles back and she's in need of a doctor! Here, take her, I know nothing about taking care of an injured person."

"How did you know she belonged to this village?" One of the ANBU asked as another relieved her from the cloaked man's back. "Oh, her hitai-ate had the symbol of the leaf so I figured she was from here. I hope she'll be OK. She's been unconscious nearly the whole time."

_'Well, that's not the truth, but a little white lie never hurt anyone. Besides, I'll be gone before she wakes up,' _the cloaked figure thought grimly. "Anyways! Since she's back here safe and sound, I'll head back the way I came. See ya!"

"Wait."

The cloak figure stopped, not turning around. "Is there something else, Sir?"

"Who are you? How do we know you aren't who attacked her?"

The cloaked figure laughed softly. "It would be a little stupid for me to attack her then bring her back here, wouldn't it?"

"You never know. You didn't answer my first question."

"Ah. I suppose I didn't. I'm a traveler. I happened to pass by and came across a place that seemed to have been the site of a fight. As I went around it, I found the girl in the woods. I think she might have a broken arm. I'm not sure."

"It's the law of Konohagakure for you to come and give your story to our superiors for records."

"But I'm not from Konoha."

"I think you are."

The cloak figure visibly stiffened. OK, so the ANBU team leader was familiar to him but he didn't think the person would be able to pick up on who he was. "I'm sorry, but you're mistaken."

"Sir, we need you to come with us."

The cloak man winced from inside the safety of his hooded cloak. If it weren't for Sakura he wouldn't have even gotten so close to the village. "I can't do that." He turned and walked away, preparing to make a run for it should they pursue. He wasn't ready to return yet.

With a flick of the hand from the captain, one ANBU left with Sakura and the other shot forward to intercept the unidentified man. Said man took off into a run away from the village. All three ANBU pursued.

The captain, whose mask was in the shape of a wolf, narrowed his eyes from behind his mask. The man gave off a familiar presence and then took off. Was he an enemy?

They surrounded the man who looked around him for a way to escape. One ANBU charged forward to attempt to grab him but he jumped back and out of the way with quick reflexes.

The captain frowned. This man was a ninja. He could feel the chakra. It was faint, but he could feel it. He held up his hand and made a simple flick. All three ANBU attacked.

"Please don't fight me, I can't fight you all." The voice was softer now, as if it pained the man to say it. The ANBU captain hesitated. That voice... it almost sounded like. But... could it be? Was it possible?

One of the ANBU threw a set of kunai at the man and with a poof he turned into a log. Kawarimi. Such a basic jutsu. The Captain spotted the man continuing to run down the path. Before he could get very far the captain was standing in front of him. The man crouched down knowing the other two ANBU were behind him. He had no choice. He couldn't risk going back in his condition.

"I'm sorry, but I can't go back. It's too dangerous. Please forgive me." His voice was nearly a whisper as his hands flew through seals. The captain recognized the jutsu immediately and began his own set of seals to counter it.

"Kanton! Goukakyuu no jutsu!" The voice rang out as a large volley of fire was released from the captain's mouth. The three ANBU paused after the flames disappeared. Where was the other's attack?

The captain scowled. It had been a decoy. He never completed the jutsu. Just then the man reappeared behind the two other ANBU, hitting both in the back of the neck with a knife-strike, causing them to crumble to the ground; unconscious. This man had taken out two ANBU? He looked up to see the man was on the run again. Damnit, would he give up already?

The cloaked man jumped from tree to tree in a desperate attempt at escape. He had to get out of there. A whistling sound caused him to duck as three shuriken embedded themselves into the trunk just above him. "Does the guy ever give up?"

"No, I don't."

The cloaked figure turned around and was met with a fist. He stumbled back, nearly falling off the branch and blocked the next punch. Just as he was about to take his own offensive strike the man appeared under him and kicked his jaw, sending him up into the air. The cloaked figure twisted around in mid air to see the ANBU nowhere in sight. Warning signals went off in his brain as he flipped back around in mid-fall. Wait... this was...!

The cloaked man gave a grunt as the final hit, a powerful kick, slammed him down into the trees below with a yell of "Shishi Rendan!"

The cloak figure crashed through the trees as one thought ran through his mind as he crashed through a branch. He hit the floor roughly and moments later he heard the footsteps of the ANBU captain approach him.

The figure's head was still hidden by the cloak and a cloth covering his face from the nose down as he looked over to the wolf-masked man standing over him with his arms crossed. "Heh. Not surprised you became captain so soon, Sasuke..."

The ANBU took a step back and hissed, reaching down and grabbed the man by the front of his cloak, jerking him up to his face. "Who are you?" He growled lowly. When the man refused to answer, Sasuke pushed him roughly against a tree and ripped the wooden mask from his face, showing two gleaming sharingan eyes and an angry scowl. He glared as he grabbed the cloth covering the man's face and ripped it from him. His eyes widened as he pushed the cloak off the man's head to be sure.

Sure enough, smiling up at him weakly was a man with an unruly mop of bright yellow hair and whisker like markings on his cheeks. However this guy wasn't the same Naruto. Curling around the left side of his face were black seals that wove around his left eye which was a deep red and the pupil slit like an animal's.

"Heh... it looks quite appealing doesn't it?" Naruto inquired his voice soft and hoarse. "It's a real kick with the ladies."

Sasuke stared at Naruto, the red sharingan of his eyes refusing to fade. "You... you've been gone all this time. Everyone was so worried about you. The Hokage... she said you're the reason I didn't get such a harsh penalty. Is that true?"

Naruto closed his eyes, smiling. "You needed a second chance."

"I didn't ask for your help!" Sasuke screamed in Naruto's face, his own face turning red from anger.

Naruto's smile disappeared as he opened his eyes. "No. You didn't. But I gave it to you anyway. So get over it, Uchiha. You were going to get your ass fried and I wasn't going to let that happen." To try and lighten the mood, he added, "Besides, I've not kicked your ass in a fair fight. You aren't going to deprive me of that chance are you?"

"You were the one who left, bastard." Sasuke replied, eyes narrowing. "And you come back looking like this."

"I didn't want to come back. I found Sakura and knew she needed medical attention. Otherwise I would've never got near Konoha's gates. Not yet, at least."

Sasuke too a deep sigh, letting his eyes fade back to onyx. "What happened to you? My sharingan can't analyze those seals."

"...If you aren't going to let me go then let's get this over with, please. I'm tired."

"But you didn't even use any of your chakra."

"...I know."

Sasuke shook his head, his anger dying down for the moment as he let go of Naruto's neck. "Come with me. If you try to run, I will catch you."

"I know."

Naruto followed Sasuke as he asked, coming back to the two ANBU who he had rendered unconscious. Squatting down, Naruto tapped the two behind their necks and within moments they regained consciousness. After a few instructions from Sasuke, who had placed his mask back onto his face, the two fell in behind Naruto with Sasuke in front. Naruto sighed and closed his eyes. It seemed today was not his day.

As it had not been his day for three years.

_End Prologue

* * *

_

**AN:** Nnk. Another one of them there "Naruto leaves and returns" fics. Aren't you just _so_ thrilled? You're all allowed to smack me now. I know I very well deserve it.

This might be yaoi and it might not be. Anything you guys prefer? ::flops::

And by the way: I'm absolutely sick of the word "cloak" now.

Too tired to write anything coherent anymore and thus I end it here.

_Phoe-chan_


	2. Chapter One :: Seals

**AN:** Well, here's the next chapter. Most people asked for SasuNaru and well, I figured I'd give it a try. We'll see how it goes cuz I certainly don't want it OOC. Granted, Naruto's gonna be a bit darker than in the canon. You'll see why. And I most certainly hope that my story will not eventually clash with events that may happen in further chapters of the manga. That would just suck.

**Disclaimer:** I heart cheese.

**Consuming Me**

_Chapter 1 : Seals _

* * *

Naruto sighed softly as he passed by familiar buildings and recognized the many smells that made up Konohagakure. He had pulled his hood back over his head in fear of being recognized. Every muscle in his body was tense as the people they passed stared at him. But it was in curiosity and not contempt. However, Naruto still wished he could turn invisible. His body burned and he felt dizzy. This was not what he wanted or what he needed. He could feel his eyes water as he pushed the pain back and regained control. Oh, how it burned. He wished he could rip out his inner coils system and be rid of it all. 

He hadn't even realized they had made it to the tower. _'We're already here? I was hoping it would take longer...'_

Naruto dreaded this. He wished he could escape. If it had been just a few months ago, he probably could have. Now, of course, it would be nearly impossible. Not without _that_ happening.

The guards at the door easily let Sasuke and his troops pass, not without giving Naruto curious glances, however. He didn't acknowledge them and continued to walk ahead.

"Hokage-sama. It's Uchiha Sasuke, requesting permission to enter."

"Permission granted."

Sasuke opened the door, stepping in and stepping aside as Naruto and the two other ANBU followed behind. Tsunade sat behind her desk; hands clasped together, elbows resting on the desktop. "I've been told Sakura has been taken to the hospital to be treated. Now, tell me who this is and why you three thought it necessary to bring him in."

Sasuke turned around, signaling the other two ANBU were to be dismissed. They left in two clouds of smoke, leaving Tsunade, Sasuke, and the cloaked young man alone in the room.

"Well?"

Sasuke sighed, running a hand through his hair, his mask now off. "This is... going to be a shock..."

"I'll handle it, Sasuke."

Tsunade's eyes widened. _'That voice!'_

Naruto pulled the cloak hood back and removed the mask from the lower part of his face. He stared at Tsunade, unsmiling, face expressionless. He looked awful. Lines were under his eyes from sleep deprivation; his hair was a shaggy mess, bangs falling in his face and locks in the back covering his neck. The ugly black designs twirling around his left eye and down his face, disappearing under his clothes, made Tsunade's mouth go dry. However, the one inhuman eye staring at her actually sent shivers down her spine. The other eye was still a crystal blue, shining of a desperate hope.

"Naruto... it's about time you came back..." She tried to force a smile but it was weak and quickly crumbled. She reached up to wipe away tears forming in her eyes. "I've missed you so much..."

She stood, walking around her desk and in front of Naruto, pulling him into a hug. He didn't hug back but just stood there, letting her hold him. "Yeah..."

The dead voice that spoke made Tsunade quickly let go of him as she stared at him, taking his chin in her hand. She turned his face to the side, staring at the seals. "Tell me what happened."

"It's not what happened, it's what _is_ happening. It's still going on, baba."

Naruto stepped back and pulled out of Tsunade's grasp, closing his eyes. "Sasuke wouldn't let me leave. It's not my time to come back. I'm a danger to Konoha."

"You know that's not true-"

"IT IS!" Naruto snapped, eyes snapping open. "Do you think I would fucking stay away if I didn't have a good reason!"

His voice sounded desperate, hysteric. Tsunade wisely dropped her words. "I'm sorry, Naruto. Will you please tell me what happened?"

Naruto hesitated, glancing over at Sasuke. Sasuke didn't know about Kyuubi. Sure, he knew Naruto had something up, but he didn't know what. And the man looked like he wasn't planning on leaving any time soon.

He hesitated, looking back at Tsunade. "The seal is falling apart, baba. It's not designed to be active this long."

Tsunade grabbed Naruto's shoulders roughly. "What are you saying, boy! He can't escape; he's trapped in you!"

"Take a look at the seals, baba!" Naruto shouted back, jerking out of her grasp again. "Do you think I'm wearing these as a fashion statement! They're the only thing keeping my body from deteriorating! They're the only thing keeping him at bay...!"

Tsunade was trembling. She was strong, she was hokage, yet she was realizing what a danger the boy was in. The boy that was so much like her departed little brother.

Sasuke was listening intently, his eyes narrowed at the two. What was going on? Who were they talking about? What were they talking about? Who was this "he"? "What are you talking about, dobe?"

He tacked on the insult as a 'friendly' reminder that he was still there.

Naruto looked over at him then back at Tsunade. Tsunade waved her hand. "You're dismissed Sasuke. This doesn't concern you."

That made Sasuke's temper snap. "It damn well does! He disappears then shows back up looking like shit! I have a damn right to know what's causing this!"

Tsunade's face turned red as she opened her mouth to shout at him but Naruto held up his hand. "It's all right, Tsunade-bachan. I won't be able to hide it from him much longer."

Naruto turned to face Sasuke. "You've noticed in the past that I always seemed to have an unlimited supply of chakra. It was different, wilder."

Sasuke nodded, confirming and wanting him to continue.

Naruto sighed. "Eighteen years ago, the Kyuubi Fox demon attacked Konohagakure, killing many and leaving the village in near ruins."

"Yeah, that's in our history books; Yondaime died killing it," Sasuke reminded, not liking where this was going.

"Heh. Funny thing about history books: they don't always have the facts straight," Naruto reply bitterly, his face hardening. "Yondaime didn't kill the Kyuubi. He sealed it away when he died."

"Yeah... OK, like The Third did to Orochimaru's arms," Sasuke replied, spitting out the last part of that sentence with as much hate as he could. Suddenly, the point of this conversation was starting to sink in as he stared at Naruto.

"Yeah, he didn't seal it in him. He sealed it in a living vessel. Me. Apparently, he couldn't seal it in himself for some reason. That's why the villagers don't like me. That's why I almost always managed to pull out of any situation on top."

Sasuke stared at Naruto as he digested the information. It sounded so absurd, but it made perfect sense. It explained everything, except why he left. "So why did you leave?"

"Did you not hear me earlier? The seal is fading. From what I've come to think, the seal was never meant to be used on a living vessel for so long. It was designed to entrap the opponent before both died and then the seal would vanish. But, you see, I didn't die after the entrapment. Yondaime did, so the seal remained active. And over time it's losing its strength. It started at our _lovely_ brawl in that Valley. It didn't get bad until after we brought you back. By then I realized what was going on and that I had to find help, soon."

"Why didn't you see me?" Tsunade demanded, eyes blazing with rage, not at Naruto, but at the situation.

"You couldn't have helped me. I needed someone who specialized just in seals. I've found someone who can help, but it can only go so far. He's managed to seal the infected areas so they can't spread."

"But that means it's stopped," Sasuke commented from his position against the wall.

"No. See, that's not the only thing wrong," Naruto began, hesitating for a moment. "My chakra highway…"

"What about it?" Tsunade inquired.

"When I use my chakra, the infection spreads. When Kyuubi's chakra gets out, it corrodes my inner coils system. I can't channel chakra like I used to. I always had a hard time because the chakra mixed. The Kyuubi's chakra is so potent that with this infection it's like an acid and burns my inner coils system. I can't even channel chakra to certain parts of my body anymore. The seals are to keep the infection from spreading and to keep Kyuubi's chakra at bay. However…"

Naruto sighed, staring down at the floor. "… When I use my own chakra in massive amounts, Kyuubi's chakra tags along and the chakra highway collapses even more, allowing the infection to spread while Kyuubi's chakra is being channeled and remains in my system. I have to expulse it out of my body as quickly as I can; and you know with my chakra capacity, that's very hard to do…"

Tsunade closed her eyes, willing herself to stay strong. "So that is why you've stayed away…"

"Because I am a danger… Please let me go, Hokage-sama." Naruto got down on one knee, lowering his head. "If you love your village, you'll let me leave. I can't stay here."

Sasuke started, standing up straight. "No."

"Sasuke, this isn't your call," Naruto started, but was interrupted before he could continue.

"You are _not_ leaving. I don't give a damn what's going on in you but the Naruto I know would never run away like a coward," Sasuke snarled, his hand balling into a tight fist at his side.

Naruto sighed, standing up and looking over at him sadly. "Am I a coward because I want to protect those I hold dear to me?"

Sasuke stopped, the anger in his face quickly fading. He hung his head, bangs covering his eyes. After a moment of silence, he spoke softly, his voice surrendering. "Fine. I won't stop you."

Tsunade closed her eyes. Legally, she shouldn't even let him go, but at the same time, she should. In all honesty, Naruto was a danger no matter what. But like hell if she was going have the closest person to her taken away from her. Again. Her eyes then opened.

"Naruto."

"Mm?" The young man looked back at her, his eyes tired.

"Would you stay if we helped you find someone to cure you?"

Naruto opened his mouth to immediately say no, but something made him stop. He closed his mouth, thinking. His search had been nearly fruitless. The sealers he had found could only do so much… and now if he had Konoha's help, he might …

"I will stay. But should anything happen that jeopardizes anyone here; I will leave without a word. Understand?"

Both nodded, relieved that he would stay. To have him show up suddenly and then leave again would be too much for them to bear. "I won't be staying within the city, though. I'll stay on the outskirts at nights and come in during the day as needed. Before any of you reject, it's just better that way. I prefer sleeping alone anyway."

He turned to leave for the door when Tsunade put a hand on his shoulder. "I have a request, Naruto."

He turned, looking at her, confusion on his face. "Yes?"

"I need to know how far the infection has spread so I can start looking up possible sources."

She felt Naruto's body stiffen as he hesitated, looking away. "It's… bad."

"I need to see."

The boy worried on his bottom lip, contemplating the outcome. He glanced at Sasuke and knew the man wouldn't go anywhere either. "O-OK..."

His voice was like a whisper as he stepped back, tugging at the strings of his cloak around his neck. The ragged piece of material slithered off his shoulders, pooling to the floor. He wore a pair of worn-out pants and a fishnet shirt, overlaid by a tattered black shirt that may have been a jacket at one time. He reached up, unzipping the shirt and slipped it off, quickly followed by the fishnet. He stood there, staring up at Tsunade. The seals wove around parts of his chest and arms, even one or two fingers that had claws instead of fingernails. The seal around his stomach was visible—but it looked cracked, chipped. Parts were barely visible.

"Oh, God…" Tsunade whispered, a hand flying to her mouth.

Sasuke stared, eyes wide. This was… Naruto?

Naruto closed his eyes, his head turning up toward the ceiling, arms spread out at his sides. The seals throbbed with a dull pain, a burn, a reminder of how little time he had left. "Funny, isn't it? I'm becoming what people fear most. I'm everyone's worst nightmare."

He gave an empty laugh, eyes opening up as he stared at the ceiling. "Hope they're happy now. So everyone else can have a happy life, I must always be the one to suffer."

Tsunade turned her head away, closing her eyes. Sasuke continued to stare, his mask completely gone. The raw emotion of both fear and horror burned into his face, from both the torture Naruto was enduring and the idea of what could happen should Naruto continue to go through this.

Naruto lowered his head, closing his eyes again. "I don't wish to strip so I will just say; I have more seals on my legs and feet. About 40 of my body has been infected. And I'm suspecting the next time something happens, it'll jump up another 10 if I'm not careful."

"What would be that something? What makes you have to use so much power?" Tsunade inquired, staring at him with her honey-colored eyes.

Naruto gave a wry smile. "Well, you can't expect a living chakra powerhouse to go around without attracting the eyes of those who crave power." He glanced out the window wistfully, his eyes becoming distant. "They soon find out that they can't control the Kyuubi. No one can. Not even me."

He raised a hand to his face, glancing at the three fingernails and two claws attached to his fingers. "Not even me…"

To be continued…

* * *

**AN:** Mm. Took me long enough, huh? Yeah, it's gonna be SasuNaru but I dunno to what extent. So far it ain't much at all, huh? XD 

Thanks for your reviews, they're greatly appreciated and were very helpful. I wanted to write more but I had trouble coming up with more for this chapter so I ended it where I did. Granted, it was going to end with "This was Naruto…?" but I decided to tack on a few more sentences. Aren't ya happy? Well? Now, please excuse the lack of whatever I should write here because I have this kitten who insists that this chapter should have many more letters than what is in it and is determined to see the idea through with the use of kitty paws and my keyboard.

BTW, I do hope my little theory thingie up there is sound. I confused myself while trying to write it out. :mutters fouly about stories that need thought out before posting:

Le sigh.

_Reviews appreciated,_

_Phoe-chan_


End file.
